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During the Indiana Fever’s end-of-season press conference on Saturday, Kelsey Mitchell said that with the attention Caitlin Clark draws, she and her teammates get a lot of flak for being on the same team as Clark.The comments got back to Clark, who admitted in her end-of-season presser Thursday they made her “upset.””You care about your teammates so much. You don’t want any of them to go through something like that,” Clark said.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEClark added that the “microscope” on her has led to “a lot of really great things, and at times, there can be some negatives,” including racist rhetoric, which she condemned.”It kind of gets into this larger discussion in mainstream sports of what people go through… Any time I see something like that, it makes me upset, sad, really disappointed, because it’s not who I am, it’s not who I am about,” Clark continued.Despite the speed bump in their relationship, Clark made it clear that she “needs” Mitchell, a pending free agent, back with the Fever.SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTER”She knows how much I love her. We’ve talked since the season has ended, and there’s nobody I would want to share the backcourt with other than her,” Clark said. “I think we had the best season of any backcourt in the WNBA, in the league’s history. I often tell her, ‘I feel like I have the best seat in the house every single night. I get to watch you do your thing and be right next to you and be on the other side of the ball with you.'”I know this organization, we’re going to work our butt off to get her back, we’re going to recruit her as hard as we can, every player that’s signed to a contract is going to recruit her as hard as they can, we need her, we love her. I think more than anything, Kelsey’s a really great person, and I love getting to be in the locker room with her. She’s just a good soul, and this organization and these fans have rallied around her, have supported her more than anything. I hope she comes back. The arena’s chanting ‘MVP’ for her again. That’s what she deserves. That’s certainly our goal, our No. 1 priority. I hope for the rest of my career, I hope I play alongside her.”Mitchell averaged 24.7 points while shooting 45.0% from 3-point range. The Fever were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

Abdul El-Sayed once accused President Barack Obama of failing to deliver on the progressive campaign promises that he outlined in the 2008 presidential campaign, calling his election to a second term a kind of compromise for progressives.”I realize that I have little hope because there has been less change,” El-Sayed wrote in a 2012 op-ed for HuffPost.”But I have to say now what I’ve been holding in throughout his campaign and what I think all of us have to admit: Obama was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one.”The resurfaced comments, published just days after the 2012 presidential election, complicate the political picture for El-Sayed as he prepares to campaign with Obama later this month. The comments also raise questions about what El-Sayed’s ideals for the Democratic Party would have looked like in 2012, highlighting his past satisfaction with one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent figures.DEMS’ LEFTWARD LURCH GETS LEGS AS EL-SAYED’S MICHIGAN SENATE VICTORY SPARKS PARTY DEBATEIn particular, El-Sayed’s 2013 op-ed criticized Obama’s international record and strikes on Pakistan and Yemen, an underperforming economy and, in his view, little to no change in being accepted as a Muslim American.”I feel no more dignified, no more accepted as cops throughout the country have usurped my right to walk the streets freely without fearing unjustified interference. Inequality has accelerated and the divide between the haves and have-nots in our country has never been starker,” El-Sayed wrote.”At home our economy continues to stagnate; its victims are so many of my peers who had also invested in ‘hope and change’ four years ago, who cannot find meaningful work.”Notably, he did confirm that he had voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012.MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS LEADERS MUST ADDRESS ‘UNPAID DEBTS’ TO BLACK COMMUNITIESHe also asserted that Obama’s record, as disappointing as it had seemed to him, was still better than the outlook of the failed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.Even so, El-Sayed said Obama fell short of the ideal he, as a progressive, would have chosen for the country.”We really like the idea of Obama … let’s be clear, for progressives who care about peace, prosperity, civil liberties and the future of our country, Obama’ reelection last night was no victory. It was the rock we chose over the hard place,” El-Sayed wrote.In recent months, as El-Sayed waged his Senate campaign in Michigan, Obama did not endorse the progressive, staying out of a primary between him and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.Like Obama and other Democrats, El-Sayed has championed the growth of government as a way to address the country’s top issues. In addition to calling for lowering housing costs, he’s advocated for Medicare for all, opposes corporate tax carve-outs, and supports tuition-free access to higher education.Obama has still not issued an official endorsement even though he is slated to take the stage alongside El-Sayed on Oct. 24 for a rally with other Michigan Democrats.The former president highlighted the event in a post to social media on Monday.VAN JONES CALLS OUT EL-SAYED FOR ‘INSANE’ BELIEF THAT HE’S ‘SMARTER THAN BARACK OBAMA’ ON ISRAEL POLICY”Looking forward to being in Detroit on 10/24 to campaign for Jocelyn Benson, Abdul El-Sayed and Democrats up and down the ballot in Michigan,” Obama wrote, referring to the Democratic candidate for governor in the Wolverine State.Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry on the 2012 op-ed and his current-day views on Obama’s legacy.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. will not strike Iran before the elections in November, saying there are talks with the country.

Airlines Suspend Flights To Saudi Capital After Devastating Houthi Strikes On Airport

Update(1604ET): There are reports that possibly several parked aircraft were damaged or destroyed after the earlier Thursday Houthi ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. And now international reports are saying a slew of airliners are suspending flights to the city, some tentatively for up to a week:

In response to Thursday’s attack, Germany’s Lufthansa Group and Air India as well as two other carriers from the country, all suspended flights to the city.

The rebels had earlier warned global airlines “for the last time” about the consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which they called a theatre for their military operations.

Saudi authorities issued a NOTAM, and so many more airlines are expected to cancel. Also quite significant is the US State Dept alert telling diplomatic personnel to not use the capital’s airport and to stay away from the border region with Yemen.

“U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia now require special authorization to use the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” the fresh emergency notification says.

Saudi Arabia: The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as of October 8 and reminds all U.S. citizens to exercise heightened vigilance. The Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including against civilian airports, and the military conflict has the potential to escalate. U.S. citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions. We recommend checking your flight departure status directly with the airline and with the airport. U.S. citizens are advised to not travel near the Yemen border. Follow the guidance of national alerts released by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense. U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia now require special authorization to use the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border due to safety risks and need special authorization for travel to the provinces of Jizan, Asir, Najran, and the cities of Qatif, Yanbu, and Taif. More at https://t.co/MfbGz5Fc2D
— TravelGov (@TravelGov) October 8, 2026
More emerging photos have shown extensive destruction:

مطار الرياض بعد الصيانة … https://t.co/T8yQEfNDsj
— سِرَاج (@serraaajjj) October 8, 2026
*  *  *

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has come under Houthi attack once again on Thursday, and may have suffered a hit, as eyewitnesses have told Reuters of smoke rising from an aircraft at the major travel hub in the Saudi capital. Some new, unverified shocking images emerging…

🚨BREAKING: Footage Confirms Yemen Destroyed A Saudi Aircraft At Riyadh International Airport The incident has caused airlines around the world to cancel flights to the Saudi capital. Yemen is imposing a no-fly zone in retaliation for attacks on its civilian population. https://t.co/NydL1KtCqa
— MintPress News (@MintPressNews) October 8, 2026
Witnesses were also cited in The Associates Press as having heard “several explosions” – after which an urgent evacuation notice was given.

The Houthis in Yemen have been going after airports as well as Aramco oil facilities. In two separate attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday, the kingdom’s Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport were targeted by Houthi missiles.

The AP details of the Thursday flight stoppage in Riyadh as follows:

King Khalid International Airport “closed again,” the Flightradar24 monitor said Thursday afternoon on X not long after the blasts. “Last landing 80+ minutes ago. Last take off 90+ minutes ago.”

Fire and ambulance crews deployed and smoke was visible, the witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The witness said outgoing flights were halted and passengers were instructed to leave checked-in luggage behind and evacuate. It was not immediately clear how many flights were disrupted.

Footage shows a massive plume of smoke rising from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is now the most disrupted airport in the world, Ansarallah ballistic missile attacks are becoming a daily occurrence. https://t.co/JwD3ouVNd6
— MoloMonitor 🇮🇹 (@MoloWarMonitor) October 8, 2026
The prior 72 hours has seen three civilians killed and 36 injured in Houthi-claimed attacks across Saudi Arabia. “An Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, and a Sudanese national was killed at the airport in Riyadh, the agency said, with 36 people wounded in the attacks,” Middle East Eye details.

 

On Thursday, Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said his forces intercepted and destroyed a pair of Houthi ballistic missiles on Riyadh and towards Khamis Mushait.

As for the latest airport attack, which has reportedly shut down the international hub, the Houthis are claiming responsibility and say there was a direct hit and damage, while Saudi authorities have remained silent in the initial hours.

All of this, plus last evening’s headlines that President Trump is mulling a new bombing raid on Iran possibly before the November midterm elections, has pushed oil prices higher throughout the Thursday morning hours…

Over in Yemen, fighting has intensified in the Taiz region and in rural areas. Al Jazeera details:

Fighting is raging in al-Shamayatayn, al-Maafer and the southern and western countryside of Taiz governorate.

The Houthis are pushing into rural areas that have not seen conflict for years, aiming to open a supply route because their lines towards al-Kadaha and al-Waziiya, which link Aden, Lahij and Taiz, are nearly cut off by advancing government forces.

Those forces are moving towards al-Waziiya and the Kahboub Mountains overlooking Bab al-Mandeb.

Government forces expected a dangerous escalation over the next 48 hours after the defense minister said Houthi-held areas will be recaptured soon. Government forces reported more than 2,000 operations, including attacks, supply line cuts, repelled attacks and territory retaken.

The three deaths reported by the Saudis on Wednesday are the first civilian deaths reported in the kingdom since the conflict with the Houthis was renewed several weeks ago.

Saudis have issues a Travel Alert for King Khalid airport in Riyadh. After Houthis struck a Parked aircraft. The airport has nearly shutdown with most flights now being canceled! https://t.co/BglBkTeRXA
— Ali (@MerruX) October 8, 2026
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is likely going to press allies harder to join the counteroffensive against the Houthis in Yemen, after Pakistan and Turkey have announced defense assistance based on the Mecca Defense Pact.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/08/2026 – 16:04

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin predicted Thursday that voters will flip Texas blue in November for the first time in about 30 years as the panel discussed the tight race between Democratic candidate James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate.”I think we will. I think we will see Texas go blue, actually. I really do,” Hostin remarked. “In September, not only one, but eight pollsters had Talarico ahead 51-45%. That is so significant given that a Democrat hasn’t won statewide office in 30 years. “That same poll showed that he is leading Paxton among women, 56% to 40%. Among voters aged 18 to 29, 66% to 22%, and among Hispanics, 62% to 30%. We’re talking about Texas. He’s going to win this race.”TEXAS VOTERS HAVE PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT WHETHER LONE STAR STATE COULD TURN BLUECo-host Alyssa Farah Griffin argued that Talarico’s edge in the Lone Star State was a referendum on President Donald Trump’s administration. “I mean, the fact that Texas is in play speaks to the moment right now that people are so frustrated with the current leadership,” she said. “A Democrat hasn’t won statewide in Texas in over 30 years. I still think it could go either direction for Paxton or Talarico, but this is kind of a perfect storm, and it’s a mess of the president’s own making.”Griffin agreed the state might flip blue, calling Talarico a good candidate. She argued that Sen. John Cornyn would’ve been a better Republican candidate over Paxton, who was endorsed by Trump and came out on top in the GOP primary.A Fox News poll released in October found Talarico enjoying a net positive personal rating of 8 points among likely Texas voters (52% favorable vs. 44% unfavorable), compared to Paxton, who is underwater by 18 points (40% vs. 58%). Republicans are six times more likely to view Paxton unfavorably (32%) than Democrats do Talarico (5%).FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACELikely Texas voters are split on control of the Senate: 49% prefer a Democratic Senate while 50% favor a Republican upper chamber. Eight percent of self-identified Republicans prefer the Democrats in power versus 1% of Democrats crossing over to pick the GOP.All this gives Talarico a slim 2-point edge over Paxton (51-49%) in the poll among likely voters. These matchup results are within the margin of sampling error.DEMOCRATS THINK A BLUE WAVE IS BUILDING. HERE ARE 3 FORCES THAT COULD STOP ITCo-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Ana Navarro cast some doubt on the positive polling for the Democratic candidate.”Two-thousand sixteen left me scared,” Navarro said.”I have hope. People should have hope, but hope alone won’t win an election. People got to turn hope into vote. And I don’t think they, you know, relying on polls and just kind of sitting back and getting complacent is something that nobody can afford to do if they want to see change.”Paxton’s campaign did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.MEET THE VOTERS WHO COULD BREAK THE GOP’S DECADESLONG GRIP ON A REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLDTrump campaigned with Paxton in San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday.They both pointed to Talarico’s absence from campaigning at the event. The Senate candidate’s campaign responded to the criticism, explaining Talarico has been sick with the flu and is expected to return to the campaign trail this weekend.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE”Anyone taking seriously what Sunny Hostin and Alyssa Farah Griffin say about politics likely has a low enough IQ to qualify as a guest host on ‘The View,’” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital in a statement about the co-hosts’ remarks.Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Well, it’s Thursday and that means it’s time once again to take a stroll through the world of True Romance. I thought last week’s brief mention of the end of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady’s marriage would be the last we heard of it.Nope. Not when there’s a “source close to the model” who has her heroics to share. It was tough for her to call it off with the legend, but she somehow did and is better for it.I wouldn’t be mentioning it if I didn’t think it was so inspirational. There’s no other motive at play. No working of any system or joy gathered from an unprovable satirical angle.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!So please keep the emails positive. This is a situation any of us could find ourselves in and there’s a lesson to draw from it that a source close to any of us could share with an outlet.”She always thought she would be married to Tom for the rest of her life,” the source told People. “The divorce was very upsetting, and she struggled to understand it at the time, but she’s not bitter.”How could she be? They have children together and did share some good times. There was something else at play here. A force that turned out to be greater than their marriage.The source added, “She’s very spiritual and looking back, she feels the universe had another plan for her.”You don’t ignore the universe on matters of the heart, or so I’ve heard.Sometimes those matters of the heart are heard by a private investigator through hotel walls and lead to a court telling you to cough up almost $1 million to the ex-wife of a man you hooked up with while he was married.Just ask former NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb.Go follow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook and keep sending your emails here: sean.joseph@outkick.com (anonymously if you prefer).Sticking with the signs from the universe theme, or whatever the source was trying to say about why Gisele is now married to her Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, is it a sign that you shouldn’t get married if your groom calls you the wrong name at the altar?What about if the name was your sister’s? Does that change anything? Is he thinking about her and wishing she was standing in front of him in that moment? Is it nothing?I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s nothing. It did get more than a couple of million views for the bride who posted the slip of the tongue on TikTok. Who cares that he said her sister’s name with a view count like that, am I right?The video includes text that reads “POV: you’re standing at the altar and your husband calls you the wrong name.”The caption: “Plot twist: it’s my sisters name. Still not over being called Emily at the altar” had people in the comments calling for her to have responded by calling off the wedding.Fair point. Would you have gone on with the nuptials had your spouse-to-be called you by another name at the altar?This bride did continue. She married the man who called her by her sister’s name at the altar and doesn’t have any regrets. Not yet anyway.”A million people told me to stop the wedding, which feels slightly dramatic in hindsight. Very glad I ignored the internet and went anyway because unfortunately it was one of the best days of my life,” she wrote in response to one of the comments.”10/10 would marry the man who forgot my name again.”Congratulations. If you’re scoring at home, it’s a split on listening to the universe. A supermodel ended her marriage while a woman in love ignored the fact that her husband called her by the wrong name at the altar.SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY OUTKICK NEWSLETTERFollow True Romance on Twitter and Facebook.Enough of that listening to the universe mumbo jumbo. I’m going to let that one end in a tie and not drag this story through the mud.This isn’t about the universe. This is a complicated love story of a man falling for the girlfriend of his best friend of twenty years.The only real question here is, is she worth ruining a friendship for? He’s leaning towards yes and hates himself for saying, “I’m crazy about his girlfriend and no matter how much I try, I just can’t get rid of this feeling.”He wrote to Metro, “He’s had plenty of partners but thinks this girl is special, and believe me, she is. I have a partner of my own who is very sweet, but I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with her.”WIFE SWAPPING WITH FRIENDS RUINED BY FATHER-IN-LAW, MESSY MARRIED AFFAIR WITH A CO-WORKER & WEDDING OBJECTIONSThe four of them hang out all the time and have even vacationed together. He and his best friend’s girlfriend have developed a bond, and he says when they all go out, “it’s as though she and I are the couple.”He has developed strong feelings and, thanks to some liquid courage, at a wedding they all attended he confessed them to his best friend’s girlfriend. He then started the clock on “It’s only a matter of time before something physical happens” after she said she felt the same way about him.Now he’s in a mess. Where does he go from here?The train has already left the station after he failed to act like an adult and stuff those feelings deep down inside while formulating a plot to break his best friend and his girlfriend up.Now that that’s off the table, he has a much rougher road ahead. One that will likely end his friendship. Had he played it right, he could have come up with a scheme where his friend wanted nothing to do with her ever again.If she’s the one, there will be a smoldering pile of ashes left behind. I see why blaming it on the universe is a much easier way to go about these sorts of things. Best of luck to these two as they follow their hearts.Forget bizarre fetishes, these people are freaks. If you had any doubt about the ability of some to add significance to anything, this will erase that.They’ve attached intimacy to just about anything. We’re talking everything from snotty tissue cleanup and hair tents, whatever that is.One of these weirdos from Reddit knew that her boyfriend was the one because she didn’t have a tissue, and he offered up his shirt for her to wipe his nose on. What are we doing people?- CF in Kansas writes:The true romance I would love to see is Sophie Cunningham and Enes Kanter Freedom.  They seem like they would make a great couple!!What do you think of that match?SeanJoBeing someone who knows ball, I can tell you that he does like blondes. That being said, I don’t know if she’s his type or not.————-That’s it. We’ll do it again next Thursday and the Thursday after that. Then, for the first time all year (at least that I can remember), there will be a Thursday without True Romance.I’m taking the last week of October off and I won’t be taking my laptop with me. But that’s still a few weeks away. So keep the song recommendations and anything else you want to share coming my way.As always, you can reach me, anonymously if you prefer, at sean.joseph@outkick.com. Go follow along on Twitter and Facebook.

But Judge Timothy Kelly said he would extend the temporary restraining order by two business days.